Baihao Shao, Oxford | Using light to make (bio)materials smart
Foresight Institute Molecular Machines Group
Using light to make (bio)materials smart
Bio: Baihao will join the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong
Kong as an Assistant Professor in August 2025. He earned his bachelor’s degree from
Zhejiang University in 2015 and his PhD from Dartmouth College in 2021. Following his PhD,
Baihao did his postdoctoral research at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford
before transitioning to his independent position. His research focuses on organic and
supramolecular chemistry, molecular switches and machines, photoresponsive therapeutics
and light delivery.
Abstract: Photoresponsive molecules and materials enable dynamic, non-invasive modulation of
properties with spatiotemporal precision, driving innovations in advanced 3D printing, soft
robotics and smart therapeutics. These applications underscore the need for light-activated
systems with enhanced performance and expanded functionalities, alongside strategies for
efficient light delivery across materials and biological systems. In this webinar, the presenter
will focus on his doctorate work around the mechanistic investigation of bistable hydrazone
photoswitches, and the development of hydrazone-based fluorophores, functional materials
and anion receptors. He will also cover his postdoctoral research on injectable,
photodegradable hydrogel for subcutaneous drug delivery and living cell-mediated targeted
cancer therapy.
Foresight Institute Molecular Machines Group
This seminar is part of Foresight's Molecular Machines Seminar Series. To join future seminars in this program please apply here.
A group of scientists, entrepreneurs, and institutional allies who cooperate to advance molecular machines, applications in energy, medicine, and material science, and long-term progress toward Richard Feynman’s vision of nanotechnology.
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